French dishes for American tables

150. Oysters au Gratin. Take three dozen rather small oysters, blanch them, and drain them. Make a rather thick bechamel sauce (Art. 83), to which add two yolks of eggs well mixed in a little water. When beginning to boil, add your oysters, a little salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg. Mix all well together, and then put them, with your sauce, in the shells. Cover them lightly with breadcrumbs, and a few drops of melted butter on top. Send them to the oven, and serve when nicely browned. 151. Lobster au Naturel. Put in a saucepan two sliced onions, a few green onions, some parsley, four cloves, four branches of thyme, one of sage, a pinch of mace, a little piece of green pepper, two ounces of salt, and enough water to cover them. Boil them for twenty minutes, and then allow them to cool, after which add four medium-sized lobsters, boil for half an hour ; take them off the fire, and let them become cold in their liquor. Then drain them, split them in two, break their claws, and serve them garnished with parsley. 152. Lobster a la Havraise. Take three small live lobsters, cut off the claws, break them, and separate your lobsters in two, cutting each lobster in eight pieces. Put into a frying-pan three very finely chopped shallots, with a tablespoonful of oil. When beginning to color lightly, add your pieces of lobster, and, after cooking fifteen minutes, add half a pint of Spanish sauce (Art. 80), a glass of sherry, about ten mushrooms, a little chopped parsley, a little salt, pepper, and a very little nutmeg. Mix well together, boil five minutes longer, and serve. 153. Croquettes of Lobster. Chop fine the meat of two boiled lobsters and add half a pint of bechamel sauce (Art. 83), to which you have added the yolks of two eggs well mixed in a little water. Then add two tablespoonfuls of tomato sauce, a little pepper, salt, and a very little nutmeg, and put on the ice until perfectly cold — this is of the utmost importance. When thoroughly cold, form them into croquettes and roll them in bread-crumbs ; beat three eggs (the yolks and whites together), into which dip your croquettes and roll them again in bread-crumbs. Put about two pounds of lard in a frying-pan, and, when very hot, fry your croquettes, which, when a light brown, drain, and serve. 154. Broiled Lobster. Take four chicken lobsters (uncooked and perfectly fresh), separate them in two, lengthwise, put a little melted butter upon them, salt, pepper, and some bread-crumbs. Broil them on a gentle fire, and, just before serving, sprinkle over them some chopped parsley. You may serve with them, if desired, a sauce Tartare (Art. 112) or a sauce remoulade (Art. 109). 155. Deviled Lobster. Prepare the mixture as described in Art. 153 for lobster croquettes, and mix with it a teaspoonful of mustard. Clean the shells of your lobsters, fill them with the above mixture, which cover lightly with mustard, on top of which sprinkle some bread-crumbs and a very little melted butter. Put them in the oven, and, when colored a light brown, serve. 156. Lobster a la Bordelaise. Take the meat of three boiled lobsters, which cut in mediumsized pieces, and put them in a saucepan on the fire for about five minutes, with half a pint of sauce Bordelaise (Art. 101), and serve.